SEMTO

What SEMTO does

SEMTO (Société d'Economie Mixte des Transports de l'Ouest) is a mixed-economy public transport company that operates the Kar'Ouest urban bus network and dedicated school transport services under an exclusive concession granted by the TCO (Communauté d'agglomération du Territoire de la Côte Ouest) public authority across western Réunion Island, France. Founded in 1993 and headquartered at 12 rue Mangalon in Saint-Paul, Réunion, the company operates with a corporate headcount of 31 employees and serves a defined catchment of urban commuters, school students and families, persons with reduced mobility (PMR), and intermodal cyclists within the TCO territory. As a Société d'Economie Mixte, SEMTO combines public-sector oversight (with TCO as the controlling authority) and private shareholder participation, operating under a delegated public service contract that fixes tariffs and service levels through the organizing authority.

The company's core product is the Kar'Ouest urban bus network, supported by an integrated technology platform hosted on Cityway infrastructure. The platform comprises the Karte Ouest contactless smart card (available as nominative and anonymous variants, with online recharging), the M-Ticket mobile application with QR-code validation (iOS and Android), a 24/7 E-Boutique for online top-ups, and the Kar'Ouest Temps Réel real-time passenger information system. Adjacent service lines extend the network's use cases: Transports Scolaires (dedicated school circuits with annual enrollment), Kar'Ouest Mouv (PMR accessibility), Mobi'Ouest (Porte-vélos intermodal bike-rack service), and Kar'La Nuit' (night bus service).

SEMTO's business model is a regulated, direct-to-consumer utility model. Revenue is generated from (i) single-trip ticket sales (MALIN, ECO, MARMAILLE, JEUNE, DERNIERE MINUTE) with a 2-hour transfer validity, (ii) 30-day monthly and 365-day annual subscriptions (non-auto-renewing), (iii) school transport subscriptions and enrollment fees, and (iv) fare-enforcement penalties across nine fine categories. All tariffs are denominated in euros and are set by TCO. Distribution is multi-channel: physical commercial agencies, onboard vehicle sales (cash), a network of authorized depositaries, the E-Boutique, the M-Ticket app, and a toll-free tele-operator line (0800 605 605). Marketing and customer engagement run through the corporate website, Facebook, RSS feeds, and an annual school transport enrollment campaign. The company has no disclosed subsidiaries, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no public ticker.

Name

SEMTO

Legal name

Société d'Economie Mixte des Transports de l'Ouest

Website

https://karouest.re

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SEMTO is a mixed-economy public transit operator that runs the Kar'Ouest urban bus network and dedicated school transport services under an exclusive TCO concession across western Réunion Island, France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Paul

HQ country

Réunion

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Single Trip Tickets: Revenue from individual ticket sales (e.g., MALIN, ECO, MARMAILLE, JEUNE, DERNIERE MINUTE) with a 2-hour validity window including transfers. Tickets available in physical (contact-less card) and dematerialized (M-ticket QR code) formats.
2. Monthly and Annual Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from monthly (30-day) and annual (365-day) transit passes loaded onto Karte Ouest cards. Subscriptions are not automatically renewable; customers must proactively renew.
3. School Transport Services: Revenue from dedicated school transport services (Transports Scolaires) for the TCO region, including enrollment fees and term-based subscriptions for students.
4. Fare Enforcement and Fines: Revenue generated from penalty fines (amendes) levied against passengers found without a valid ticket or in violation of transport regulations (e.g., no ticket, unreadable ticket, misuse of free tickets). Fine categories include R1 (no ticket) through R9 (no validation).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SEMTO operates the Kar'Ouest public transit network under an exclusive concession from the TCO public authority on Réunion Island, providing urban bus transport, dedicated school transport circuits, night service, and accessibility services across the Territoire de la Côte Ouest. Ticketing is delivered via the contactless Karte Ouest smart card, the M-Ticket mobile QR-code application, an online E-Boutique for recharging, onboard driver sales, and a network of depositaries, with real-time traffic information available through the Kar'Ouest Temps Réel service.

Product overview

SEMTO operates the Kar'Ouest public transit network for the Territoire de la Côte Ouest (TCO) of Réunion Island, France. The core offering is the urban bus network providing real-time transit information, journey planning, and network maps. The product portfolio includes the Karte Ouest contactless smart card and M-Ticket mobile application for ticketing, along with specialized services: Transports Scolaires for school transport, Kar'La Nuit' for night service, Mobi'Ouest for bicycle transport, and Kar'Ouest Mouv for accessibility. Services are available through physical points of sale, the E-Boutique online platform, and the M-Ticket mobile app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• M-Ticket: Mobile ticket application for digital transport tickets on smartphone
• Karte Ouest
• Kar'Ouest Temps Réel

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TCO (Territoire de la Côte Ouest)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCO is the public organizing authority (Autorité Organisatrice des Transports Urbains) that grants SEMTO the concession to operate the Kar'Ouest public transport network. TCO sets all transport tariffs, defines service levels, and oversees the network. The relationship is formalized through a public service delegation contract between TCO and SEMTO.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Lacroix Group: European supplier of intelligent transportation systems, including urban traffic signaling and connected mobility hardware. Operates as an infrastructure-side vendor to the public transit industry rather than a direct competitor.
• RD Réunion: Regional transport authority of Réunion Island that co-funds and coordinates public transport including Car Jaune. Functions as a public sector counterpart in the same island mobility ecosystem where SEMTO operates.
• Actoll: Provider of ticketing and fare collection technology for public transport networks, whose platform powers SEMTO's E-Boutique and Karte Ouest backend. An enabling technology partner rather than a competitor, but a relevant ecosystem participant.
• Cityway: Software provider for public transport information, journey planning, and passenger-facing digital platforms. Its technology underpins the Kar'Ouest website and M-Ticket app, making it a direct ecosystem enabler for SEMTO's customer-facing digital services.

Broad incumbents

• Keolis: SNCF subsidiary and one of the largest public transport operators worldwide, with significant presence in French urban transit concessions. Comparable as a large-scale operator of SEM/contracted bus networks and a potential bidder on TCO concessions.
• Transdev: Global leader in public transportation, operating numerous urban bus and multimodal networks across France and internationally. A potential competitor for future TCO concession renewals and a comparable operator of delegated public transport services.
• RATP Dev: Subsidiary of RATP Group operating urban transit networks globally, including in French overseas territories. Comparable as a major incumbent operator of French delegated public transport networks and a potential competitor for SEMTO's concession.

Direct peers

• Alterneo: Société d'Economie Mixte operating the urban public transport network in the southern part of Réunion Island (CASUD territory). Direct peer to SEMTO/Kar'Ouest in both ownership structure (SEM) and operating model (urban bus concession) on the same island under a different public authority.
• Citalis: Urban transit operator for the eastern agglomeration of Réunion Island (CINOR territory), structured as a public-private entity. Direct peer to SEMTO in operating an urban bus network under a concessional framework with the same regulatory and geographic context.

Regional players

• Car Jaune: Interurban bus operator connecting communes across Réunion Island, also operating under public authority oversight. Operates in the same island geography as SEMTO but at an interurban/regional level rather than strictly urban, providing complementary rather than overlapping service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/karouest
• Facebookfacebook.com/karouest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/semto-kar-ouest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SEMTO